The way that music is released now is changing. Bands are opting to have more frequent single releases and shorter albums. While traditional albums tend to contain 12-13 tracks, we are seeing the total number drop to 10 or 11, with the shift being driven by the economics of popular streaming platforms like Spotify.
Engaging Audiences
Sabaton, with their latest album, Legends, released a total of five singles, even though the album is only 11 songs long. We are seeing this mirror the online world of entertainment as well.
Streaming services like Netflix typically stagger episodes to keep users engaged, and seasons themselves are also getting shorter. Seasonal content is often dropped by game developers to engage users at different times of the year, and even online casino operators run structured promotions for established players. The Betfair casino bonus, for example, offers a free shot at the jackpot, and returning players can also claim 50 free spins as well as £10 to play on a number of titles.
Offering recurring promotions or reasons for people to re-engage helps to build an audience but also to make sure that steps are taken to bolster interest in older titles.
In the case of Sabaton, views spiked for their other music videos after the release of Crossing the Rubicon. Other recent releases, like Gaerea’s Loss, also resulted in a spike in listens across their catalogue when they released their single, Submerged.
The band released a total of four singles, which included Hellbound, Phoenix and Nomad, even though the album is only 9 songs long. Examples like this support the fact that bands are not only using singles to their advantage with music algorithms, but also as a way to bolster the popularity of their existing catalogue.
Capitalising on Building Momentum
Bands are trying to find new ways to adapt to the streaming era. By breaking up album momentum, they can capitalise more on promotional campaigns, as well as catering to audience attention spans.
It’s also possible to take advantage of algorithms on platforms such as Spotify, so the music can be continually put in front of listeners. Spotify’s Release Radar is a prime example here. For independent artists, financing, mixing, and mastering one or two songs at a time is more cost-efficient than trying to push a whole album. If you do this across three or four singles, bands can spread the cost while having four unique opportunities to pitch to streaming services.
Releasing singles on sites like YouTube also gives bands the chance to feature on playlists and collaborate with other creators. In the case of Sabaton, they collaborated with Nothing More for Crossing the Rubicon.
When the album was released, the band stripped it back to being just them, with the feature being a bonus. With that said, Nothing More experienced a surge in views, showing how one band releasing more singles can benefit other bands, sending shockwaves throughout the music sector.
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